[Re]integrating the Stadium Within the City: A Ballpark for Downtown Tampa

Abstract

With little exception, Major League Baseball stadiums across the country deprive their cities of valuable space when not in use. These stadiums are especially wasteful if their resource demands are measured against their utilization. Baseball stadiums are currently utilized for only 13% of the total hours of each month during a regular season. Even though these stadiums provide additional uses for their audiences (meeting spaces, weddings, birthdays, etc.) rarely do these events aid the facility's overall usage during a year. This thesis explores and redevelops the stadium's interstitial zone between the street and the field. The primary objective is to redefine this zone as a space that functions for both a ballpark and as part of the urban fabric throughout the year.